Port-au-Prince, 16 October 2016 - Another cargo plane loaded with 35 tonnes of essential relief items, dispatched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and its members, arrived yesterday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The latest shipment includes emergency food kits, hygiene kits, tarpaulins, tools for communities to repair their homes, jerrycans, buckets and water purification sachets to help stop the spread of cholera and other diseases.

The bulk of the goods were directly transported to the port in Port-au-Prince. They were then loaded onto a ship that left yesterday for Jérémie, one of the towns worst hit by Hurricane Matthew.

The ship is equipped with several smaller boats (tenders). These will be used to transport essential supplies from Jérémie to other more isolated villages and communities.

“We have put in place a logistics supply chain that will be an important development for reaching remote areas affected by Hurricane Matthew,” said Steve McAndrew, IFRC Head of Emergency Operations.

“Access is proving to be a huge challenge in delivering aid due to flooding and road and infrastructure damage.”

“This logistics supply chain will help get essential supplies to those who are in serious need of assistance,” said Mr McAndrew.

According to Mr Walter Cotte, IFRC Regional Director for the Americas, IFRC`s membership of the Panamanian Government`s Humanitarian Hub in Panama has meant that IFRC has been amongst the first humanitarian organizations to send relief items to Haiti. “Being part of a regional goods and services hub has meant we can act fast when disasters occur.”

Mr Cotte praised the work of Haiti Red Cross volunteers. “Within days of the storm passing, volunteers of Haitian Red Cross Society were in communities distributing pre-positioned supplies such as blankets, tarpaulins, water purification tablets and hygiene kits.”

The IFRC has launched an appeal for 6.8 million Swiss francs (6.9 million US dollars) to provide medical, shelter, water and sanitation assistance to 50,000 people in the storm-ravaged southwest of Haiti.

Video footage of the logistics operation are available here. An infographic on relief items sent to Haiti is available here.

Donations can be made here to support the Haiti Red Cross Society response to Hurricane Matthew.